Vatican, Bergoglio: funds from the Secretariat of State go to APSA, via commission

• Vatican, Becciu case: investigations by the Gdf on CEI and Obolo San Pietro funds

• Vatican: London immobile, Gianluigi Torzi arrested

• Vatican: Moneyval checks on anti-money laundering from today

• Vatican.

  Cecilia Marogna, manager involved in the 'Becciu case' released

Share

05 November 2020On the evening of yesterday, 4 November, Pope Francis presided over a meeting whose object "was to promote the implementation of what the Holy Father had asked for in a letter to the Secretary of State, dated 25 August 2020, on the transfer of the administrative management of the funds of the Secretariat of State for the administration of the patrimony of the Apostolic See (Apsa) and their control to the secretariat for the economy ".

The Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni gives the news.

At the same meeting, the Pope set up the "commission of passage and control", which comes into operation with immediate effect, "to complete, in the next three months, the provisions of the letter to the Secretary of State". 

The decision comes following the real estate investment scandal in London and the casual use of funds from the Secretariat of State, including

.

At Bergoglio's instruction, the management of Vatican funds was removed from the Secretariat of State and then passed to APSA, the administration of the patrimony of the apostolic see, under the control and supervision, moreover, of the secretariat for the economy.

The Pope had already expressed this "will" in a letter to Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on August 20 last.

The commission is made up of Msgr.

Edgar Pena Parra, substitute of the Secretariat of State, Msgr.

Nunzio Galantino, president of Apsa, and Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, prefect of the secretariat for the economy.

Last night's meeting with the Pope was attended by card.

Parolin, Msgr.

Pena Parra, Msgr.

Fernando Vergez, Secretary General of the governorate, Msgr.

Galantino and father Guerrero Alves. 

In the letter of August 25 to Card. Parolin, the Pope indicated that "it is of the utmost importance that the mission of each body be clearly defined in the economic and financial sphere and the corresponding way of implementing the 'administration and control, in order to avoid unnecessary and harmful overlapping, fragmentation or duplication ".

According to the Pontiff, moreover, "it does not seem necessary or appropriate that the Secretariat of State should perform all the functions that are already attributed to other departments".

Bergoglio therefore explained that "it is my will that in the future: the Secretariat of State will transfer to APSA the management and administration of all financial funds and real estate assets, which will in any case maintain their current purpose".

"Particular attention - Francesco stressed - deserve

from which it is necessary to exit as soon as possible or, at least, to dispose of them in such a way as to eliminate all reputational risks".

Meanwhile, the financier Raffaele Mincione, one of those involved in the transactions concerning the Sloane Avenue building in London, announces that "the activity requested by the authorities of the Holy See for the acquisition of documents and information continued today". 

"All the funds that have so far been administered by the Secretariat of State - the Pontiff continued in the letter - should be incorporated in the consolidated financial statements of the Holy See".

The secretariat for the economy, he added, "carries out control and supervision in administrative and financial matters over all the entities of the Roman curia" and "this means that the Secretariat of State (...) in economic and financial matters will not have responsibility for supervision and control of any body of the Holy See ".

Finally, "taking into account that the Secretariat of State will not have to administer or manage assets, it will be appropriate for it to redefine its administrative office, or to assess the need for its existence".